


( 







Gass , L A 6 ^ 

Book _JLLHLi 



-X 



65th Congress 1 
3d Session ) 



HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 



/Document 
\ No. 185S 



JOHN H. CAPSTICK 

(Late a Representative from New Jersey) 



MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 

DELIVERED IN THE 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OF THE UNITED STATES 






MS. SIXTY-FIFTH CONGRESS 

SECOND SESSION, l^^-l'ilS- 



Proceedings in the House 
May 19, 1918 



Proceedings in the Senate 
March 18, 1918 



PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF 
THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING 



^^-Zb/'^^'v 




WASHINGTON 

1919 







n; of -'a 

JAi^ 28 1920 






TABLE OF CONTENTS 



Page. 

Proceedings in the House 5 

Prayer by Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D 5,8 

Memorial addresses by — 

Mr. Richard Wayne Parker, of New Jersey 11 

Mr. Charles O. Lobeck, of Nebraska 15 

Mr. Isaac Bacharach, of New Jersey 17 

Mr. Michael F. Phelan, of Massachusetts 22 

Mr. John J. Eagan, of New Jersey 25 

Mr. William J. Browning, of New Jersey 28 

Mr. William W. Venable, of Mississippi 31 

Mr. Edmund Piatt, of New York 33 

Mr. Elijah C. Hutchinson, of New Jersey 36 

Mr. Otis Wingo, of Arkansas 39 

Mr. Edward W. Gray, of New Jersey 42 

Mr. Lemuel P. Padgett, of Tennessee 44 

Mr. Frederick R. Lehlbach, of New Jersey 48 

Mr. Frank P. Woods, of Iowa 51 

Mr. Dow H. Drukker, of New Jersey 53 

Mr. John R. Ramsey, of New Jersey 56 

Mr. Simeon D. Fess, of Ohio 58 

Mr. J. Hampton Moore, of Pennsylvania 61 

Mr. Everis A. Hayes, of California 63 

Proceedings in the Senate 67 



[3] 




HON. JOHN H.CAPSTICK. 



DEATH OF HON. JOHN H. CAPSTICK 



Proceedings in the House of Representatives 

Monday, March 18, 1918. 
The House met at 11 o'clock a. ni. 

The Chaplain, Rev. Henry N, Couden, D. D., offered the 
following prayer : 

Our Father in heaven, we find ourselves submerged in 
almost impenetrable darkness, which covers the earth 
as the waters cover the sea; and we most fervently pray 
that it may presage the dawning of a new day, which 
shall flood the earth with light, warmth, and beauty; 
bring to men a clearer vision of the larger life, correct 
mistakes, right all wrongs, banish war, and establish a 
lasting peace; fructify and replenish the earth with all 
good; and unite all men and nations in the bonds of 
brotherly love : " For as the new heavens and the new 
earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith 
the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain." 

Our Father, our hearts are touched by the death of a 
Member of this House who has been taken from the con- 
fines of the now to the larger reward in the new life. 
Comfort us, especially those to whom he was nearest and 
dearest, by the precious promises of the gospel of the 
Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Mr. Browning. Mr. Speaker, it is my painful duty to 
announce to this House the death of my colleague, the 
Hon. John H. Capstick, late a Representative from the 
fifth district of the State of New Jersey. Mr. Capstick 

[5] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Capstick 

died yesterday morning at his home, Montville, N. J., 
shortly after 10 o'clock. I shall not attempt at this time 
to say anything regarding his good qualities or eulogize 
him in any way, but I shall at a future date ask that a 
day be set aside on which to pay tribute to his character 
and valuable public services. I send to the Clerk's desk 
the following resolutions : 

The Speaker. The Clerk will report the resolution. 

The Clerk read as follows: 

Resolved, That tlie House has heard with profound sorrow of 
the death of Hon. John H. Capstick, late a Representative from the 
State of New Jersey. 

Resolved, That a committee of 16 Members of the House, with 
such Members of the Senate as may be joined, be appointed to 
attend the funeral. 

Resolved, That the Sergeant at Arms of the House be authorized 
and directed to take such steps as may be necessary for carrying 
out the provisions of these resolutions, and that the necessary 
expenses in connection therewith be paid out of the contingent 
fund of the House. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the 
Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. 

The resolution was unanimously agreed to. 

The Speaker. The Clerk will announce the committee. 

The Clerk read as follows: 

Messrs. Eagan, Glass, Hayes, Parker of New Jersey, Phelan, 
Woods of Iowa, Scully, Browning, Hamill, Drukker, Bacharach, 
Hutchinson, Ramsey, Gray of New Jersey, Lehlbach, and Lin- 
thicum. 

The Speaker. The Clerk will report the additional reso- 
lution. 

The Clerk read as follows : 

Resolved, That as a further mark of respect this House do now 
adjourn. 

The resolution was agreed to. 

[6] 



Proceedings in the House 



Tuesday. March 19, 1918. 

The Speaker. The Chair wants to make an announce- 
ment before he forgets it. The gentleman from Cali- 
fornia [Mr. Haj'es] can not go on the Capstick funeral 
party, on account of public business, and the Chair ap- 
points Mr. Swift, of New York, in his place. 

A message from the Senate, by Mr. Waldorf, its en- 
rolling clerk, announced that the Senate had passed the 
following resolutions: 

Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow the 
announcement of the death of Hon. John H. Capstick, late a Rep- 
resentative from the State of New Jersey. 

Resolved, That a committee of eight Senators be appointed by 
the Vice President to join a committee appointed by the House of 
Representatives to take order for superintending the funeral of the 
deceased. 

Resolved, That the Secretary communicate a copy of these reso- 
lutions to the House of Representatives. 

Resolved, That as a further mark of respect to the memory of 
the deceased Representative the Senate do now adjourn. 

And that in compliance with the foregoing resolution 
the Vice President had appointed the senior Senator from 
New Jersey [Mr. Frelinghuysen], the junior Senator from 
New Jersey [Mr. Baird], the Senator from West Virginia 
[Mr. Sutherland], the Senator from Indiana [Mr. New], 
the Senator from Idaho [Mr. Nugent], the Senator from 
Tennessee [Mr. McKellar], the Senator from Arizona [Mr. 
Ashurst], and the Senator from Georgia [Mr. Hardwick] 
as the committee on the part of the Senate. 



Tuesday, April 30, 1918. 
Mr. Browning. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that the House set aside Sunday, May 19, for addresses 
on the life, character, and public services of my late col- 
league, John H. Capstick, late a Representative from New 
Jersey. 

[7] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Capstick 

The Speaker. The gentleman from New Jersey asks 
unanimous consent that Sunday, May 19, be set apart for 
memorial services to his late colleague, Mr. Capstick. Is 
there objection? 

There was no objection. 

Friday, May 17, 1018. 
The Speaker. The Chair appoints Mr. Browning to pre- 
side next Sunday at the memorial services for the late 
Representative Capstick. 

Sunday, May 19, 1918. 

The House met at 12 o'clock noon and was called to 
order by the Speaker pro tempore [Mr. Browning]. 

The Chaplain, Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D., offered 
the following prayer : 

Our God and our Father, whose name is sacred to the 
heart of every true man; and who is the inspiration of 
every noble deed which reflects itself on the pages of his- 
tory, sacred and profane, in song and story, in monuments 
of bronze and granite, we thank Thee for that quality of 
soul in man which recognizes in his fellows willing and 
faithful service to his fellow men. 

We are here to-day to record on the pages of history 
the life, character, and public service of such a man. 
May those who knew him best speak in terms of elo- 
quence of his deeds — a man of great parts, successful in 
his business ventures, true to his convictions, he served 
his State and Nation with fidelity and patriotic zeal and 
leaves behind him a record worthy of emulation, a trusted 
friend, a devoted husband, a loving father. 

We mourn his going and our sympathies go out to his 
colleagues, friends, and those to whom he was nearest 
and dearest by the ties of kinship. Comfort them, we be- 
seech Thee, in the blessed thought that he lives to a nobler 



[8] 



Proceedings in the House 



life, and has gone to prepare a place for those whom he 
loved, and that in Thine own good time he shall receive 
them in a realm where sorrows never come and love lives 
on forever. 

Hear us and strengthen us to do Thy will and prepare 
us for the change wliich in the dispensation of Thy provi- 
dence waits upon us all, in the name of Him whose spirit 
lives in the hearts of men, to inspire, uphold, and sustain, 
now and evermore. Amen. 

The Clerk read as follows: 

On motion of Mr. Browning, by unanimous consent, 
Ordered, That Sunday, May 19, 1918, be set aside for addresses 
on tiie life, character, and public services of Hon. John H. Cap- 
stick, late a Representative from the State of New Jersey. 

Mr, Parker of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, several Mem- 
bers of the House who expected to speak to-day are 
unavoidably absent. I ask unanimous consent that any 
Members, those who speak or those who do not, who 
desire so to do, may extend by printing in the Record 
their remarks on the life, character, and public services 
of our late friend. 

The Speaker pro tempore. Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from New Jersey? [After a 
pause.] The Chair hears none. 

Mr. Parker of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I desire to 
offer the resolution which I send to the Clerk's desk. 

The Speaker pro tempore. The Clerk will report the 
resolutions. 

The Clerk read as follows : 

House resolution 352 

Resolved, That the business of the House be now suspended that 
opportunity may be given for tribute to the memory of Hon. 
John H. Capstick, late a Member of this House from the State of 
New Jersey. 



[9] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Capstick 

Resolved, That as a particular mark of respect to the memory 
of the deceased, and in recognition of his distinguished public 
career, the House, at the conclusion of these exercises, shall stand 
adjourned. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the 
Senate. 

Resolved, That the Clerk transmit a copy of these resolutions to 
the family of the deceased. 

The question was taken and the resolutions were 
unanimously agreed to. 



[10] 



MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 



Address of Mr. Parker, of New Jersey 

• 

Mr. Speaker : John H. Capstick was born September 2, 
1856, at Lawrence, Mass. It seems to me that that town 
and its history were an inspiration to the boy. It was one 
of the mill towns on the Merrimac River. I knew it well 
only a few years afterwards when I went to school at 
Andover, Mass. It was created by those merchant princes 
and public benefactors, the brothers Amos and Abbott 
Lawrence, who put their mills there and had ended their 
long, useful, and patriotic lives only a year or two before 
our friend was born. Their memory is still green in New 
England and throughout the United States for business 
ability, activity, and energy in production and in fostering 
public improvement, for their public benefactions, for 
their beneficence, and their devotion to duty and faithful 
service in public office; and that memory must have been 
an inspiration to that little boy in the town of Lawrence. 

Mills have always been the support of that town. The 
cotton factories of the brothers Lawrence were followed 
shortly by other factories, such as woolen and paper mills 
and the manufacture of steam engines. The water power 
had been developed and was the foundation for the mills. 

Our friend's father, John Capstick, an Englishman by 
birth, was one of those who gave prosperity to the town. . 
He was a practical chemist in dyes and colors for textile 
fabrics, a most useful and complicated profession, whose 
need we are only now learning with reference to dye- 
stuffs and the fact that they have been made recently 
abroad rather than here. The boy was brought up and 

[11] 



Memorial Addresses : Representative Capstick 

spent his life in this skilled profession. While he was still 
a schoolboy only 12 years old the family moved to Provi- 
dence, R. I., where he found himself in a broader atmos- 
phere, not only one of mills but of the university and the 
State government, and where he attended the Morey and 
Goff College, a technical higher school of that day. He 
was even then an ardent American, and became a member 
of Rhode Island's crack First Light Infantry. In 1883, 
when he was 27 years old, the father and sons moved to 
Montville, N. J., a few miles east of Boonton, where they 
established their own dye works under the name of John 
Capstick & Sons. The works were successful, the town is 
their town, and the ground around was almost altogether 
owned by the firm. Our friend built his home, where he 
lived and died, on the hill above the dye works. Those 
works a few years ago were burned and torn down. 

But his life occupation had already grown out of the 
works. He had become vice president of the Morristown 
Trust Co. In 1905 he was made a member of the State 
sewerage commission, a inost important work in our 
thickly settled State. In 1908 he became a member of the 
State board of health, and his associates immediately 
chose him as their president. He remained in these duties 
until he was elected to Congress as a Republican in 1914. 
He was again elected in 1916. We expected a long service 
of him, but his health failed. He never thoroughly recov- 
ered, and he died on March 17, 1918, at the early age 
of 62. 

His work here shows that he loved what he had to do 
as a Member. He was full of patriotic energy. 

In May, 1916, when we enlarged the Regular Army 
after the service on the border, he printed a speech saying 
that the bill should have been stronger; that an army is 
an essential factor of safety and protection in emergency; 
that sparks from the flames of Europe have been car- 



[12] 



Address of Mr. Parker, of New Jersey 

ried in our direction; "several times critical conditions 
have arisen; to-morrow may demand that we face others; 
history shows that the powers that have lived the longest 
have been the strongest in security and protection; arma- 
ment is provocative of war only when it has been pro- 
cured for aggression, and the fact that we have unlim- 
ited resources is only an invitation to attack, a greater 
invitation to attack, unless we utilize wealth and oppor- 
tunities as means of security and protection, but in order 
to increase and not diminish our influence in promoting 
peace; and the cost of preparedness now would be noth- 
ing compared with the cost of repelling a foreign 
invasion." 

I would have liked to read all this speech, but I have 
selected his own words from parts of it. 

He offered in that Congress a resolution that soldiers' 
mail should be carried free. In the speech he printed on 
the subject he urged that such a measure would be an 
incentive to soldiers to write oftener, as well as encour- 
agement to the folks at home to write to their boys, to 
whom letters from home mean so much. 

He printed a speech on the merchant marine, another 
on the proper and kindly transportation of cattle, and 
another with his resolution — I doubt whether it was in- 
troduced except by that speech — to provide every soldier 
who went to the border with a service honor flag that he 
might leave at home as a memento. All his speeches 
show his great heart. 

In the Sixty-fourth Congress he was a meniber of the 
Committee on Claims. It was a very Ijard-working com- 
mittee, and he did, at least, his share. I have gone over 
35 careful reports which he wrote and filed himself dur- 
ing his short service. They are, of course, on business 
matters and not generally interesting to us all, but it is 
the kind of work that makes Congress a useful body. 



[13] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Capstick 

He was most regular in attendance, devoted to his work, 
and showed sound judgment and care in the preparation 
of these reports. 

In the Sixty-fifth Congress he was assigned to the Com- 
mittee on Banking and Currency, but he was too ill to 
take the active part which he certainly would if health 
had remained. 

We all know how devoted he was to home and to its 
duties and to its privileges. His wife was Ella F. Blake, 
of Boston. He was altogether a good citizen and neigh- 
bor. He was respected and loved by all who knew him. 
His geniality and generosity were always marked. Among 
other things, he loved music. He played the violin and 
the piano. Even on his deathbed his violin was by his 
side. He even remodeled his house and added a large 
music room and a beautiful organ, at the time that his 
wife and himself were left alone after the death of their 
only daughter and when he wished to take his dear wife's 
thoughts away from constant grief. 

His funeral was attended by men from all over our 
State of New Jersey, as well as from New York and Massa- 
chusetts. We were all sincere mourners at his grave. 

His memory will live with those who knew him as an 
honorable, true, and brave man who loved his country. 
Perhaps we could use the words: 

Write me as one wlio loves his fellow men. 



[14] 



Address of Mr. Lobeck, of Nebraska 

Mr. Speaker : After hearing the story of Mr. Capstick's 
life told by the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Parker] 
I regret that I did not know him more intimately. 

I did not have the honor and privilege to meet him 
often. My acquaintance with him was not of an intimate 
nature. During this Congress we were assigned to the 
Committee on Banking and Currency, but illness pre- 
vented the Congressman to attend, which I am sure it 
would have pleased him to do. I am certain that with his 
wide business experience, could he have been able to at- 
tend the committee meetings, his advice would have been 
very valuable. 

In reading the life story of the Congressman I read the 
same story that the average American, boy and man, must 
go through to secure the confidence of the community in 
which he resides. He must have the confidence of his 
business associates that he meets with in daily life to se- 
cure the eminence that Mr. Capstick attained. The high 
esteem and regard in which he was held by those who 
knew him best could not have been attained except by 
his careful attention to the business he was engaged in 
and his ideas of commercial honesty. I read that he was 
successful in his business; that in whatever he did he was 
most painstaking and industrious and gave the occupa- 
tion he was engaged in his most careful attention. I do 
not wonder that he was successful in commercial life. 

He was highly honored by the governor of his State, 
and by his fidelity to the trust placed in him was further 
appreciated and greater honors were bestowed on him; 
and his associates on the State board of health for the 



[15] 



Mkmoiuai, Ai)1)hi:ssi;s : Rki'kksentativtj Capstick 

Stalo of Now Jersey elccled liini lo llie presidency t)f the 
board, showing their appreciation of his services. 

No wonder his noiglibors and his home people decided 
to send him to broader fields of action. They elected him 
to represent them in Congress. They knew and trusted 
him and had faith in his fidelity to his people, to his State, 
and to the flag of our country. 

No doubt Mr. Capstick put the same energy in his work 
in Congress that made him so successful in business. 
Probably he overdid — there is so much to do at the Capi- 
tol — for a Member of Congress can be busy every moment, 
especially if interested in the work that comes to him. 

We shall miss Mr. Capstick. No man of his character 
and business abilities would pass unnoticed in the House 
of Representatives. Ability is recognized and asserts its 
way among the membership. It is a great honor to be a 
Member of the Congress of the United States, to possess 
tlie confidence of the home people, and I am sure he had 
that confidence. 

We know not why men are called away from life when 
it seems they have just arrived at the period of great use- 
fulness and helpfulness to mankind. Humanity can but 
demonstrate the fact of what has happened. We can not 
explain. 

In our associations with Members from everj' portion 
of our countrj' we make personal friendsliips never to be 
forgotten. Since mj' coming to Congress many Members 
have passed away and are no more; but their hearty wel- 
come, tlicir friendly greetings, and their friendship will 
never be forgotten as long as memorj' lasts. Loving hands 
have laid away Mr. Capstick. Those that knew him best, 
that were his intimate associates, remember him as a 
good friend and neiglibor, and they will miss him in their 
daily life, tliey will be better for having known him ; for, 
as I read the storj' of his achievements, I am sure his 
" life was wortli the living." 

[16] 



Address of Mr. Bacharach, of New Jersey 

Mr. Speaker: Once again the inevitable hand of death 
has been laid upon a Member of this House; and, in ac- 
cordance with its beautiful and time-honored custom, we 
are assembled here this afternoon to pay public tribute 
to the life, character, and public service of a departed 
colleague who has answered the summons of his Master 
and has rendered an account of his stewardship. 

On this occasion we are gathered here to pay tribute 
to the memorj' of one of New Jersey's adopted sons and 
distinguished citizens, John H. C.\pstick. late Representa- 
tive of the fifth congressional district, who died at his 
home in Mont\'ille, Morris Countj', on Sunday, March 
17, 1918. 

Mr. Capstick was bom in La^^Tence, Mass., where he 
dwelt with his parents until the age of 12, when his fam- 
ily moved to Rhode Island. It was there that he received 
his early education in the public and private schools of 
Pro\'idence. 

His father, John Capstick, was a chemist of consider- 
able abilitA' and a practical business man, who specialized 
in the coloring and printing of textile fabrics. 

With his family he migrated to the State of New Jersey 
in 1883, where he erected a factorj' at Mont^'ille and 
established the business of printing and dyeing, under the 
firm name of John Capstick & Sons, consisting of himself 
and his two sons, John H. and Thomas. 

Bj' hard work and the application of good sound busi- 
ness principles success followed their undertaking, and 
in a few years the name and reputation of Capstick & 
Sons was well and favorably known throughout the field 
of textile commercialism. 

116940°— 19 2 [17] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Capstick 

Following the death of his father, John H. Capstick 
succeeded to the head of the business, which was con- 
tinued without change in name. The high order of busi- 
ness ability which he had inherited from his father and 
which he had developed by close attention to the minutest 
details of the work well equipped him for the duties which 
devolved upon him. 

Possessed of a strong and vigorous make-up, both men- 
tally and physically, he put into his new responsibilities 
those energies which characterize the virile man of busi- 
ness. Under the impetus which his leadership gave to 
the business, increased success attended the enterprise 
with great rapidity, and not only did it bring wealth to 
the owners but it soon became the leading industry of the 
little village, bringing much happiness and contentment 
to the community. 

It was more than a business to him; it was a living 
institution, with possibilities of growth and usefulness 
which awakened his enthusiasm and inspired in him 
almost filial regard. No labors were too exacting that 
would contribute to its growth and prestige, for he knew 
that its expansion and prosperity meant more to the hun- 
dreds of men and women in its employ than it did to him. 

His tremendous power for work and his ability to do 
big things was an inspiration to those associated with him 
to do their best for the mutual success and prosperity 
of all. By the application of methods of efTiciency and 
the loyalty of those associated with him he developed 
a very excellent organization, and in the latter years of 
his life he was able to intrust the operation of the factory 
to subordinates and to give some of his time and ability 
to the welfare of his community, his State, and the 
Nation. 

He took an active part in all local civic affairs. In 
1906 he was elected as a member of the board of direc- 
tors of the Morristown Trust Co., one of the largest and 

• 

[18] 



Address of Mr. Bacharach, of New Jersey 

strongest financial institutions in nortli Jersey; in 1911 
he was elected as one of its vice presidents, which oflice 
he held at the time of his death. I append herewith a 
copy of the resolution adopted by the board of directors 
of that institution upon the death of their colleague : 

Whereas the board of directors of the Morristown Trust Co., of 

Morristown, N. J., has learned with profound regret of the death 

on March 17, 1918, of their associate, Hon. John H. Capstick, of 

Montville, N. J.; and 
Whereas Mr. Capstick has served continuously as a member of the 

board from April 14, 1906, and as vice president since January 

14, 1911: Therefore be it 

Resolved, That the board of directors of the Morristown Trust 
Co. hereby expresses deep sorrow at the loss of their associate 
whose interest in the work of the company has been unremitting, 
whose character has been so admirable, and whose personality so 
congenial to the fellow members of this board; and be it further 

Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be sent to the family 

of Mr. Capstick. 

Granville M. White, 

Henry F. Taylor, 

WiLLARD W. Cutler, 

Committee, 

It was not my good fortune to know Mr. Capstick 
intimately prior to our coming to Washington. We both 
entered as Members of the same Congress. In the days 
that followed a close intimacy developed between us 
which cemented a friendship that I shall ever cherish. 

To my mind, John H. Capstick was a man of remark- 
ably well-balanced judgment. Although conservative in 
his views, he was receptive to new ideas. I can readily 
appreciate him as a man who all through life was pos- 
sessed of unusual powers of concentration and resolu- 
tion, those attributes which go to make up a strong, 
unswerving character. 

His was a personality which literally grew on one. 
Large in stature and possessing a countenance clear cut 

[19] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Capstick 

and well proportioned, his mannerisms at first suggested 
the austere; but upon becoming better acquainted with 
him one would find that, while reserved in manner, he 
was a warm, devoted, and faithful friend and an earnest, 
public-spirited American citizen. He was a man who had 
great depth of sentiment for the persons and things near- 
est his heart, and preferred the quiet surroundings of a 
beautiful home life to the gayer life of society. 

Ill health prevented Mr. Capstick from taking his seat 
in the Hall of this House when the Sixty-fifth Congress 
was called into extraordinary session by the President 
for the purpose of declaring that a state of war existed 
between the United States and the Imperial German Gov- 
ernment; nor was he permitted to take up his duties at 
any time during the regular session. 

This was a matter which caused him very great con- 
cern and much mental anguish, for he knew how impor- 
tant it was for him to be at his post of duty during the 
trying times through which our country was passing. Had 
he been able to be present he would have cast his vote in 
favor of a declaration of war and by his every act he 
would have supported the Government of the United 
States for the prosecution of the war until a just and last- 
ing peace should be consummated. 

No one can ever question the loyalty and patriotism of 
John H. Capstick, for he was an American of the highest 
type in all that the name "American " implies. 

His rugged constitution and his indomitable will power 
gave him many recurrent hopes that he would one day 
be able to again take his place in Congress. He put up 
a fight for health and life characteristic of the man, but 
the body was not able to longer withstand the onslaughts 
of disease, and early in the month of March he was com- 
pelled to again take to his bed, from which he did not 
arise. 



[20] 



Address of Mr. Bacharach, of New Jersey 

There, in the constant association of a loving wife and 
amid the surroundings of the home which he so dearly 
cherished, his soul took flight from the body. The esteem 
and regard in which he was held by his friends, both rich 
and poor, was most feelingly and eloquently expressed 
by their attendance at his funeral and by the many beau- 
tiful floral tributes which surrounded him in death. The 
services were held in the home, and the simple but solemn 
ritual of the Episcopal Church was in harmony with the 
modesty of the man for whom it was recited. 

He was laid to rest not far distant from his home. 
There, amid the scenes of his greatest activities in life, on 
a beautiful day in early spring, as the sun slowly but 
radiantly sank from view behind the hills of Morris, which 
he so dearly loved, the mortal body of John H. Capstick 
was laid away in its final sleep. He has gone, but his 
memory shall ever linger, for in the death of Mr. Capstick 
the Nation has lost a valuable servant, the State of New 
Jersey a distinguished citizen, and I a lovable and true 
friend. 



[21] 



Address of Mr. Phelan, of Massachusetts 

Mr. Speaker: As I arise to add a few simple words of 
tribute to the memory of our late colleague, John H. Cap- 
stick, I am reminded of our first meeting. "We became 
acquainted almost immediately after he had taken his 
oath of office as a Member of the Sixty-fourth Congress. 
We had conversed but a few moments when he informed 
me that he was born and had spent his early school days 
in the city of Lawrence, which is located in the congres- 
sional district which I represent. 

It was not until in subsequent conversations he had 
made frequent references to that city and those early 
days that I fully realized that he had especially sought 
me out because I did represent the city of his birth. The 
fond regard with which he so often referred to that city, 
and the tender allusions he made to his father and to his 
mother in speaking of those early days manifested to me 
two of his most prominent characteristics, his intense 
loyalty and his deeply affectionate nature. 

The peculiar tie which had drawn us together served 
to unite us in a constantly warmer and fuller friendship. 
I was moved, therefore, by a sentiment of distinct per- 
sonal grief when death removed him from our midst. 

As our friendship had developed, I had become more 
and more attracted by his genial good-fellowship, his 
whole-heartedness, and his humanly sympathetic spirit; 
I had come to be more and more impressed with his sound 
judgment, his persevering industry, his solidity, and his 
stability. I could understand why these virtues had 
gained him distinctive success in the fields of commerce. 
I could perceive why these same qualities could not fail, 

[22] 



Address of Mr. Phelan, of Massachusetts 

once he had entered upon a public career, to enable him 
to be of genuine service in public life. 

That this service within his own State was of a high 
order is evidenced by his election to the Congress of the 
United States. Upon the worth of his service here I shall 
presume to make only brief comment. 

It is difficult for us to measure the value of any one of 
our Members in the highly important and responsible 
work in which we are engrossed. At times, indeed, we 
become discouraged at what appears to be the lack of 
opportunity for an individual to be an influential factor 
in the legislation which we are enacting. 

The individual seems to be overwhelmed by the mere 
force of numbers, if nothing more. As we contemplate 
and reflect, however, we can better perceive the full op- 
portunity off"ered the individual Member through dili- 
gent application to make worthy &nd effective contribu- 
tion to the great legislative structure which we are build- 
ing. He can exercise a distinctive influence on the floor, 
where bills and resolutions are introduced, discussed, and 
passed, or in the committee room, where measures are 
framed. 

Indeed, entirely outside these two places he can exer- 
cise a forceful influence wherever he has intercourse 
with his colleagues. In our views, in our attitudes on 
public questions, we are in some degree constantly chang- 
ing, developing, and maturing. We are constantly af- 
fected by the views of our colleagues. We look to them 
for advice, suggestion, information, and support outside 
as well as inside this Chamber or the committee room. 
As the individual Member is affected, so the entire mem- 
bership is affected, and thereby the course of legislation 
in some measure influenced by the intellectual power 
and integrity of each individual Member of this body. 

A man of the constructive ability and plain honesty 
of purpose of John H. Capstick was, therefore, bound to 

[23] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Capstick 

be an effective force in the legislative accomplishment of 
this body. He had demonstrated his constructive capacity 
in the upbuilding of a highly successful business enter- 
prise. 

With his broad and extensive business training, with 
his capacity for accomplishment, he came to this House 
prepared by special qualifications to engage in construc- 
tive work. In the comparatively brief period of his serv- 
ice he had already given ample demonstration of his 
powers. We who know the essential need of men of his 
type in the great constructive work upon us and ahead of 
us can best appreciate the loss which his deatli has en- 
tailed. 

Of John H. Capstick we shall ever cherish the fondest 
recollections. The charm of his personality will always 
linger in our memories. His resolute devotion to public 
duty will stimulate us in the vast task ahead of us. 



[24] 



Address of Mr. Eagan, of New Jersey 

Mr. Speaker: The heavy hand of death has been laid 
upon the New Jersey membership in Congress four 
times since I became a Member of this great body five 
years ago — Representative Lewis J. Martin died in 1913, 
Representative Robert Gunn Bremner in 1914, and Senator 
William Hughes and Representative John H. Capstick 
in 1918. 

By a strange coincidence, Senator Hughes and Repre- 
sentatives Martin, Breniner, and Capstick lived within 
a short distance of one another in New Jersey and repre- 
sented adjoining congressional districts. Following the 
time-honored and beautiful custom of Congress, we have 
gathered here to-day to pay our tribute of love and 
respect to the memory of our departed colleague and 
friend, John H. Capstick. 

It was not my good fortune to know Mr. Capstick inti- 
mately. I was not acquainted with him before his elec- 
tion to membership in this House, though, of course, I had 
known of his distinguished service on the State sewerage 
commission and on the State board of health and the 
commercial and banking activities in which he was 
engaged. 

In the very short time in which it was my privilege 
to know him I learned to love John Capstick for his 
unassuming manner, his genial good nature, to respect 
him for his unfailing good sense, for his application to 
his work in this House, and for his thorough American- 
ism. I am sure that had he been spared for long service 
in Congress he would have achieved a position of distinc- 
tion on the committees and on the floor of this House. 

[25] 



Memorial Addresses : Representative Capstick 

Born and educated in New England, he removed in 
1883 to Montville, N. J., where, with his father and brother, 
he established the print works of John Capstick & Sons, of 
which he ultimately became the head. 

In February, 1913, the entire plant of the Capstick Co. 
was destroyed by fire. Summoned from his bed in the 
early hours of the morning, Mr. Capstick rushed to the 
scene of the conflagration without taking precautions to 
safeguard his health. Throughout the night he labored 
in the cold and rain with those gallant citizens of the 
community who had responded to the alarm, but their 
efforts were without avail. 

Years of hard work and effort were reduced to ashes in 
a few hours. The destruction of the plant brought to a 
close the long and honored business career of his firm. 
While he felt the loss of the plant keenly on personal and 
sentimental grounds, he regretted much more keenly the 
loss to the little community in which he lived by the 
destruction of its chief industry. 

The fire was a severe shock to his nervous system, and 
doubtless his death five years later is directly traceable 
to the exposure which he suffered in his efforts to check it. 

Early in life Mr. Capstick, believing that the interests 
of his country were best safeguarded under the principles 
expounded by Alexander Hamilton, joined the Repub- 
lican Party. He was always a stanch supporter of its 
principles and a strong believer in party organization. 

Before coming to Congress Mr. Capstick twice held ap- 
pointive office under the government of the State of New 
Jersey. In 1905 he was appointed by Gov. Stokes as a 
member of the State sewerage commission, and three 
years later Gov. Fort appointed him as a member of the 
State board of health. Upon the organization of the 
board he was chosen as its president, which position he 
held until 1914. 



[26] 



Address of Mr. Eagan, of New Jersey 

During his regime he insisted upon the vigorous en- 
forcement of the health laws, and much new legislation 
was enacted, which placed New Jersey among the fore- 
most States of the Union in the matter of public health. 
In 1914 he resigned from the State board of health to 
accept the nomination for Congress. He was elected to 
the Sixty-fourth Congress and in 1916 was reelected to the 
Sixty-fifth Congress. 

A devoted husband and father, his untimely death has 
removed from our midst an able, hard-working, conscien- 
tious colleague and friend. 

Mr. Parker of New Jersey assumed the chair as Speaker 
pro tempore. 



[27] 



Address of Mr. Browning, of New Jersey 

Mr. Speaker: I had never met John H. Capstick per- 
sonally until after his election to the Sixty-fourth Con- 
gress, but in the first clasp of his hand I realized that I 
was greeting a man whose friendship I would value as 
long as I shall live. There was a light in his eyes, a kind- 
liness in his manner, and a tone in his voice which drew 
me to him as to a lifelong and intimate friend. In our 
service here I sought him often and we had talks on 
many subjects. His opinions were always expressed in 
unmistakable language and with a directness calling for 
few words. 

John H. Capstick was an American business man. He 
laid no claim to statesmanship. Yet, if his health had not 
failed and he could have been spared for longer service 
in this House, the qualities which made him a successful 
business man would have left their impress upon legis- 
lation. Appropriately he was assigned to membership on 
the great Banking and Currency Committee. This was 
his natural field of action, for he had been schooled by 
experience in the complexites of banking, having been 
a banker in New Jersey, where his judgment and good 
sense earned him the respect of his associates in business 
enterprises of wide scope. When this can be said of a 
man it is predicated upon a character molded by honest 
and upright dealings. 

After the war cloud had come upon us Mr. Capstick 
wrote me a number of times from his sick chamber, de- 
ploring the fact that he was unable to be in his place 
here; and while to each of his letters I replied that he 
must be patient and defer his return until the complete 
recovery of his health, I, too, wished that it might be 

[28] 



Address of Mr. Browning, of New Jersey 

otherwise ordered, for I felt that we had need of men 
of his keenness of vision, breadth of mind, and practical 
business methods to sit at committee tables in the prepa- 
ration of legislation and in the House to consider and 
vote upon the great measures necessary to strengthen the 
arm of the Nation for the performance of the task that 
had fallen to us. 

Mr. Speaker, New Jersey, like the rest of our sisterhood 
of States, has profited by the incoming from time to time 
of men descended from that dependable and sturdy peo- 
ple who settled on the bleak New England coast. There 
Mr. Capstick was born and spent the early years of his 
life. 

At the age of 27 years he came to Montville, N. J., where 
he, with his father and brother, established a business 
which prospered. Later he succeeded to its entire owner- 
ship and accumulated sufficient to justify his retirement 
while still in the prime of life. His keen insight, his just 
appraisement of men, and his own innate sense of square 
and fair dealing — a rare combination of attributes, but 
prerequisites in any legitimate field of industrial enter- 
prise — resulted in what may be described in one word, 
" success." His years of patient toil, and of foresight, 
and directness, measured by a high standard of personal 
rectitude, brought him to the due reward of material suc- 
cess. But the laying up of treasure upon earth was not 
alone the aim of this man. He so lived amid the changes 
and chances of this mortal life that he might not lose the 
things eternal. He did not barter away his " inheritance 
incorruptible " for the temporal and evanescent things of 
this life. 

He served the State of New Jersey for six years as presi- 
dent of the board of health. He engaged actively in all 
civic matters, to the advantage of his community. He 
was identified with eveiy local charitable movement. In 
countless ways he rendered himself not only a foremost 

[29] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Capstick 

citizen but a public benefactor as well. In the hearts of 
his people the memory of this generous, kindly, and con- 
siderate man will long be cherished. 

Mr. Speaker, the life of John H. Capstick typifies the 
life of many splendid American business men. Our suc- 
cess as an American Nation rests upon the foundation 
built upon the lives of such men. But it has become a 
sort of fashion in this country in late years to decry and 
denounce what is sneeringly called " big business." Little 
if any differentiation has been made by critics between 
the successful business man of good character and the 
comparatively few who use their wits in commercial life 
that they may defraud their fellows. In what may be 
termed a crusade against business and business men the 
honest have been made to pay the penalty along with 
the guilty. 

The life of John H. Capstick gives the lie completely 
to the accusation often heard that success and honesty 
can not go hand in hand. This great war in which we 
are engaged will, I believe, help to cori'ect many false 
impressions regarding American business life. Business 
men, upon whom in a crisis of this kind the Republic must 
depend largely for its source of material strength, have 
demonstrated patriotism, not by lip service but by sub- 
stantial contributions to their country's need, and a self- 
sacrificing spirit that might well be emulated by their 
less sagacious and less successful compatriots. 

The passing of my colleague is keenly felt as a personal 
loss to me and to those who knew him best. But he has 
left a good name and has inherited the reward of the just. 



[30] 



Address of Mr. Venable, of Mississippi 

Mr. Speaker: I did not have the privilege of intimate 
acquaintanceship with Mr. Capstick, but I have heard the 
splendid eulogies pronounced upon his character and 
abilities by those who did know him, and I esteem it a 
privilege as a Member of this House to bear my own 
testimony to the worthiness of his character and the value 
of his work. 

It is upon times such as these, when we are brought 
face to face with the inevitable fate x)f all mankind, that 
we are caused to pause and countless questions arise in 
our minds. Men in all ages and in all times have been 
seeking what they call the highest good, each one asking 
himself the riddle of life and seeking to find the answer. 
Some have looked upon man as but a high order of brute 
creation, to live his brief span of years, to eat, to sleep, 
to work, and finally to die like the ox, to be assimilated 
only to the material elements that go to make up the 
world. 

Others believe that life is but a process of training; that 
death is but the door which will eventually swing open 
to permit the soul to pass into larger realms of life and 
activity and usefulness. One's idea of death and the feel- 
ings of those who are near and dear to the man who is 
dead must necessarily be largely influenced by the con- 
ception which we have of what death means. If it be 
the blotting out of all that exists of humanity, if it be the 
period to the sentence of human life, if it be that when 
death comes obliteration overtakes the man, then death 
is, indeed, a source of sorrow; indeed, a great calamity. 
If, on the other hand, death be but a great adventure, a 
step forward in the progression of the soul; if it be, as 

[31] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Capstick 

we believe, but the passageway through which the soul 
must pass to enter into a realm of greater life and light, 
of greater love and work, then, indeed, according to our 
belief, while we may feel the natural longings for one 
who has gone, still we must at the same time rejoice that 
this soul has taken this advancing step in human progress. 
From the testimonies which have been borne by the 
gentlemen who knew Mr. Capstick intimately and well, 
we have every assurance to believe that, having lived 
worthily here, having developed the powers with which 
he was endowed, having spent his life usefully, having 
put his talents out at interest, as he passed through the 
gates ajar he heard the blessed voices say, " Well done, 
good and faithful servant." 

Mr. Browning resumed the chair as Speaker pro tem- 
pore. 



[32] 



Address of Mr. Platt, of New York 

Mr. Speaker: I have been called upon to-day to speak 
as one of Mr. Capstick's committee colleagues. My recol- 
lection of him, however, is mostly as a Member of the 
Sixty-fourth Congress, in attendance at sessions of the 
House. He was not then a member of the Committee on 
Banking and Currency, but of the Committee on Claims 
and the Committee on Expenditures in the Department 
of Commerce. Of his excellent work as a member of the 
Committee on Claims you have already heard from his 
colleague, Hon. Richard Wayne Parker. New Jersey, 
although one of the great financial and industrial States, 
had no member of the Banking and Currency Committee 
in that Congress from either party, and when the present 
Congress was organized Mr. Capstick, who had given 
much of his time as a resident of New Jersey to banking 
and financial matters, was selected to represent his State 
on that great committee. I may say here that I think it 
somewhat unfortunate that he was not placed upon that 
committee in the previous Congress, so that we could 
have had the benefit, when the Federal farm-loan act 
was under consideration, of his business and financial 
experience and sound judgment. Time has shown, I 
think, that some mistakes were made in that act which 
his experience and counsel might perhaps have helped to 
avoid. 

I may say also that there was a special reason for 
assigning Mr. Capstick to the Committee on Banking and 
Currency. His district was the district formerly repre- 
sented for a long time by Hon. Charles N. Fowler, who 
in Republican days was the chairman of that committee 

116940°— 19 3 [33] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Capstick 

and author of much of the financial legislation of the 
day, as well as of bills for the reform of the banking 
system of the country, which were widely known but were 
never enacted into law. Probably in the fifth New Jersey 
district the Committee on Banking and Currency was 
better known, through Mr. Fowler's activities, than any 
other committee of the House of Representatives, and it 
was natural that Mr. Capstick, whose training amply 
fitted him for the position, should have desired to become 
a member of that committee and should have been 
assigned to it. 

In the present Congress Mr. Capstick scarcely had a 
chance to serve. He was taken ill before the special war 
session. The committee of which he was then a member 
reported and was successful in passing some of the most 
important legislation of its history, legislation without 
which the financing of the gigantic struggle in which our 
country is engaged could not have been successfully ac- 
complished. As to some of this legislation we, his col- 
leagues, knew that we had his support and approval. 
Doubtless all of it would have had his approval if he had 
not been too ill to consult. We missed him, for there 
were times when the argument was close and when the 
counsel of a practical business man of his large experi- 
ence would have made the path of sound finance easier. 
We frequently inquired of his New Jersey colleagues as 
to his condition and what the prospects were of his speedy 
return to duty, and were disheartened when we seldom 
received encouraging reports, though the malady, so 
baffling to his physicians, seemed at times on the point 
of being mastered. 

Mr. Capstick was a man whom we all respected and 
admired, a man not only of good, sound business judg- 
ment, but a man of refinement, fond of such of the finer 
things of life as good music. He was not an old man; 



[34] 



Address of Mr. Platt, of New York 

and the fact that he was called away from his service 
here during this critical year of war at the age of 62, just 
when his service would have been most useful to his 
country and to the people of his State and district, just 
when he himself would have felt that his service could 
have been of the highest usefulness, is a matter of the 
greatest regret to us all. 



[35] 



Address of Mr. Hutchinson, of New Jersey 

Mr. Speaker: By the death of John H. Capstick this 
House has lost a valuable Member, New Jersey a loyal 
citizen, and the Republican Party a stanch supporter. 

People of a democracy seldom make a mistake in choos- 
ing men for public office, and in the selection of John 
H. Capstick the fifth district of New Jersey used excep- 
tional foresight and judgment. 

He was a man of strong convictions and well educated, 
possessing qualifications characteristic of his ancestry, 
which could be traced back to that band of Pilgrims that 
settled on the New England coast and laid the foundation 
for the Nation which it was afterwards his privilege to 
serve. 

During his entire life he displayed habits of industry 
and frugality and won for himself the confidence of all 
who knew him. His keen insight in the commercial and 
financial field, as well as his ever-increasing interest in 
matters pertaining to the civic and national welfare, 
marked him as a man of affairs, and his judgment was 
frequently sought and always freely given, for John H. 
Capstick was the type of man that never tired of doing 
good. 

He was born in the city of Lawrence, Mass., September 
2, 1856, moving to Providence, R. 1., at the age of 12 years, 
where he completed his education and gained the busi- 
ness experience that shaped his future career. 

He followed the business of his father, who by profes- 
sion was a chemist and colorist, and after moving to Mont- 
ville, N. J., in 1883, he established the firm of John Cap- 

[36] 



Address of Mr. Hutchinson, of New Jersey 

stick & Sons, textile manufacturers, where by hard work, 
honest and straightforward business methods he became 
successful both commercially and financially and always 
regarded his success as an increased responsibility for 
greater usefulness to mankind. 

He retired from the textile business but remained active 
in the banking institution with which he was connected 
and was largely instrumental in making the Morristown 
Trust Co. one of the leading banking houses in the East. 

A man of culture and refinement, a lover of music and 
the things that make life beautiful, he preferred to leave 
the allurement of public ofTice to others and spend his 
time in the companionship of his devoted wife and to- 
gether enjoy the fruit of their labor. But his ability hav- 
ing been recognized, the call was insistent, and he was 
pressed into the service of his State, and he served New 
Jersey faithfully and well as president of the State board 
of health for six years and as a member of the State 
sewerage commission for two years. 

It was only natural when the time came for the people 
of the fifth congressional district to choose their Repre- 
sentative that they should select such a man, and the 
confidence reposed in John H. Capstick was never be- 
trayed. 

He came to the Sixty-fourth Congress with a rich ex- 
perience acquired by years of diligent study in the busi- 
ness world, fully conversant with the needs of the Nation, 
and by untiring devotion to his duty demonstrated such 
ability as to mark him one of the most dependable, ener- 
getic, and useful of the newer Members. 

His constituency appreciated the value of his service 
and renewed the honor by a threefold confidence, but the 
hand of disease was laid heavily on their favorite son 
and he was forbidden the opportunity of having a part 
in solving the great problems of war. 

[37] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Capstick 

During the long period of his suffering he followed the 
trend of national affairs with an eagerness found only 
in real men, and his last appearance in this House, made 
against the wishes of those who loved him best, was the 
supreme sacrifice he made in the service of his country. 

John H. Capstick was a man among men, true to his 
trust, a faithful husband and staunch friend, ready and 
waiting for the call that summoned him to his reward. 



[38] 



Address of Mr. Wingo, of Arkansas 

Mr. Speaker: I do not know of any higher tribute that 
could be paid to anyone when he comes to the end of life 
than to have so lived that he has gained the confidence 
and respect of all men with whom he has associated, re- 
gardless of political views. No man could have acliieved 
the success that our departed colleague achieved, no one 
could have been so universally respected by his associates 
and those who knew him intimately, without being a man 
of unquestioned integrity and high character. As you 
read the story of his life and the success that he achieved 
in a business way you are impressed with the fact that the 
greatest factor of success is the personal element, the 
confidence and respect which one earns from those who 
depend more upon the character of men than any obliga- 
tion or security they can give. 

It was not my good fortune to know our departed col- 
league as intimately as some of those who have spoken 
here to-day. Dealing, as our Committee on Banking and 
Currency does, with great questions, it is a matter of 
genuine regret that during this Congress his ill health 
prevented him from giving us the benefit of his experience 
and the wisdom that comes from that experience in the 
consideration of our legislative program. The life and 
character of John Capstick and the high esteem in which 
he was held by his colleagues in this House and the fact 
that, regardless of any sectional relationship or party 
affiliation, he had the respect of Members on both sides 
of the aisle is but typical of the spirit and illustrative of 
the character of the House of Representatives. This 
House is truly a representative body, representative of 
the greatest, the freest, the most practical yet the most 

[39] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Capstick 

liberal democracy in the world. Character and ability, 
industry and devotion to duty, honesty of purpose and 
love of country are the things that determine one's stand- 
ing in this body — these are the only coins that pass cur- 
rent here. 

Mr. Speaker, it is true in this House, as it is in every 
other walk of life, that frequently men are stricken 
down right at the point when they have reached the 
maturity of their powers and high tide of their efficiency. 
We do not quarrel with the Divine purpose — our finite 
minds can not question the wisdom of the infinite — but 
in spite of our dutiful acceptance and submission to the 
Divine will we regret that men like Capstick should, at 
the hour when they have reached the fullest capacity 
and right at the time when, by reason of the standing 
they have earned and the respect which their character, 
their integrity, their ability, and their experience have 
won, they can be of greatest service to the community 
and the Nation, they are stricken by ill health and pass 
away. It may be, Mr. Speaker, as I grow older I notice 
these things more and more, but 1 have been more 
impressed with this fact during the last two sessions of 
Congress than ever before. We have lost men of simple 
yet forceful character, like Capstick, that the Nation 
could ill afford to lose in this trying time, because if there 
ever was a time in the history of this Nation that we 
needed men of experience in this body it is now. His 
experience as a Member of this body had just reached 
that point where he could be of real practical service to 
the Nation. His ability and character would have given 
him an influence in shaping legislation that we are now 
enacting and which we must enact of even greater impor- 
tance in the future. We all know as a practical proposi- 
tion that, however distinguished a man's ability and how- 
ever great his experience and character may be in other 
walks of life, it takes that experience and knowledge 

[40] 



Address of Mr. Wingo, of Arkansas 

that comes from active service in this House to equip a 
man for real service in this body. I have not under- 
taken to speak at length of the life and character of Mr. 
Capstick. These have been fully covered by those who 
knew him intimately and were qualified to speak as they 
have done to-day. I simply content myself with saying 
that from what I knew of the man, from the genuine ex- 
pressions of regret that have fallen from the lips of his col- 
leagues to-day, the obviously sincere tribute which they 
have paid to him, lead us all to the conclusion that it is 
a matter of genuine regret not simply to those of you 
who come from the Commonwealth of New Jersey, not 
simply to those of you who belong to the same political 
party to which he belonged, not simply to his business 
associates, but it is a matter of regret to the entire Nation 
that men like Capstick fall right at the time when he 
could have been of greatest service to his country and to 
his fellow men. 



[41] 



Address of Mr. Gray, of New Jersey 

Mr. Speaker: What is the greatest thing a man can do? 
There can be as many different answers to this question 
as there are different liuman desires, philosophies, and 
creeds. 

As the world goes to-day, we might expect that a ma- 
jority of men would answer that the greatest thing a man 
can do is to get wealth. They know that the degree of 
a man's success is popularly measured by the amount of 
money he possesses. 

A much smaller number would answer that fame is 
more desirable than wealth and is a worthier acquisition. 
Perhaps the two are not unrelated. How many seek 
money for its own sake and how many because with it 
they can purchase prominence? However, real fame has 
a more intellectual basis than this, such as unusual ac- 
complishment in art, science, morals, or religion. 

Wealth and fame are probably the two objects most 
commonly sought by men, yet a man may attain both to 
an extraordinary degree and not be a great man. In fact, 
a man may be great in many respects and not be a great 
man. He may be a great banker or a great philanthropist 
or a great statesman or a great general or a great preacher 
and not be a great man. A great man is a broad man. 
He is to be measured not alone by what he has accom- 
plished but by what he is; and what he is is what his mind 
is, what his soul is. 

It is truth that makes men free, and a man is great ac- 
cording to his soul capacity for truth. He is a great man 
when, stripped of prejudice and bias and superstition and 
fear, he looks all things squarely in the face and seeks in 
all things to know and do the truth. 

[42] 



Address of Mr. Gray, of New Jersey 

I did not know John H. Capstick very well, but what 
I knew of him I knew well. He had acquired wealth and 
fame to a degree that lifted him above the mass of his 
fellow men; yet I do not know that he consciously strived 
for either wealth or fame. He was of the type of men 
who find joy in mere achievement. He was a successful 
man, but it would be incorrect to say that he was a great 
man. At the same time he approached greatness, as the 
meaning of the word has here been suggested, by pos- 
sessing an innate love of truth and a detestation of sham 
and pretense and hypocrisy. All of us who were asso- 
ciated with him in the House knew that nothing marred 
his serenity so much as listening to a speech he was satis- 
fied was not sincere. Also was his heart always set on 
voting right, according to what he considered to be his 
duty; and when he found his feelings divided on a ques- 
tion or his judgment uncertain it caused him grave worry 
and concern. No Member of the House of Representa- 
tives felt more keenly the responsibility of his member- 
ship in the " War Congress " than did Mr. Capstick. 

Thus do I pay him my brief tribute. Simple though it 
be, it is not insignificant. Through his own effort and 
industry he acquired wealth, position, and influence, 
which he tried conscientiously to use for the betterment 
of his country and his fellow beings. While the soul 
finds enfranchisement in truth, to few, indeed, is the 
freedman's full title given. Hence, that man has well 
achieved of whom it can rightly be said, as it can of John 
H. Capstick, that his sincere desire was to give back to 
the world in full measure for that which he had received 
and that all the ends he aimed at were his country's, his 
God's, and truth's. 



[43] 



Address of Mr. Padgett, of Tennessee 

Mr. Speaker: 

Friend after friend departs; 

Who liath not lost a friend? 
There is no union here of hearts 

That finds not here an end. 

We come here from all parts of the country unknown 
to each other. We come here, many of us, perhaps all 
of us, with limitations of a very different life from that 
we find here. In many instances we have our provincial- 
isms, we have our neiglihorhood surroundings, associa- 
tions, and habits of life and thought. We come here to 
a larger and broader sphere of action, and the horizon 
of our vision broadens very much. Perhaps before we 
come here we may have very limited conceptions and 
narrow feelings. Perhaps we may be influenced by very 
partisan conceptions, but in our associations here the 
vision of life broadens and we gather a higher and a bet- 
ter and a broader conception of men and of life and of 
purpose. As we mix here one with the other in our asso- 
ciations we are elevating ourselves into a higher concep- 
tion and better understanding of human character and 
human life and human purposes. We broaden ourselves 
by our associations and our minglings with each other. 
We may do that by our associations in likeness of thought 
and also in the very contest of opposed thoughts. After 
we have been here we form our personal attachments. 
There is one thing of which we are all proud and that is 
in our personal attachments, in our affection, one for the 
other; in our esteem and in our admiration there is no 
middle aisle of division or separation. 

[44] 



Address of Mr. Padgett, of Tennessee 

There is no line of demarcation that separates or that 
limits our admiration and our esteem for that which 
is honorable, noble, generous, manlike. Here it is, that 
we find, as our vision broadens and the horizon extends 
farther and farther out, that within the boundaries of our 
own country everywhere are produced men of the high- 
est order — noble, pure, generous men, patriotic men, 
men in whose hearts the love of country and of honor 
and of truth and right and justice is just as strong and as 
devoted as in every other section of the country. And 
that, I think, is one of the great secrets of the success of 
the House of Representatives. We bring together men 
from all portions of the country, and it becomes a great 
melting pot. The dross gets out and the pure elements 
of high character, of devotion to principle, of uplift to a 
higher standard of manhood as here developed permeate 
the whole country in the influences that go out from the 
congressional life of this Chamber. 

But with all our attachments, our admirations, our 
friendships there comes a time of separation. Some leave 
us voluntarily, retiring to private life for various reasons; 
some in the changes in the wheel of fortune at home are 
defeated for reelection, and every now and then there 
comes, as it has on this occasion, the hand of death, and 
the friend is taken away. But, Mr. Speaker, there is one 
thing that is to us a supreme comfort and consolation. 
The separation, in whatever form it comes, whether by 
voluntary retirement of a Member, or defeat in the chang- 
ing of the wheel of fortune, or by the pallid hand of death, 
is not a severance of our friendship, and death is not the 
end of our love, our esteem, and our admiration. Al- 
though death may come and take away from our midst 
our colleague and our fellow laborer, blessed is the 
thought that still in our hearts there survive in memory, 
in cherished memory, the love and the esteem and the 



[45] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Capstick 

confidence and the admiration which our fellowship and 
our service and our work here begot in our friendships. 

Rqther, Mr. Speaker, death is only the going before, 
going before to a larger life, into that life freed from the 
limitations of the habilaments of flesh, stripped of the 
bandages, if I may so term it, of the five senses, into that 
life, broad as the limits of space, as enduring as the 
eternity of God. 

It is life, not death, we crave — a larger, fuller, better 
life — and when we separate here it is not the forgetting, 
not the oblivion; it is only the thought that our friend has 
gone before into that larger, better life. 

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Capstick was what we might call a 
new Member. In the provinces of God it was not per- 
mitted him to remain here many years, and yet during 
his short stay, in his association, limited as it was in time, 
he commended himself to our esteem, to our confidence, 
and to our admiration. He made many friends, because 
his friendship was based upon the solid foundation of 
real worth. He was a man that was justly and rightly 
held in high esteem. 

It is well that, when the curtain falls, those who remain 
can say that during our association, our work, and our 
fellowship, " I knew him to be an honorable man; a man 
of character, of integrity, and of high-mindedness." And 
such is the testimony of the life of Mr. Capstick. 

His private life was successful. I shall not go into that. 
It has already been enumerated. But, Mr. Speaker, the 
same elements of character, the same foundation prin- 
ciples of honor and integrity that manifested themselves 
in his private life and made it successful are the same ele- 
ments that commended him here to his associates in the 
work of Congress. 

We believe, Mr. Speaker — it is our faith — that in that 
larger life we shall meet and shall have opportunity for 



[46] 



Address of Mr. Padgett, of Tennessee 

larger service and larger usefulness. We can not draw 
the veil that separates that life from this and see into it 
with distinctness and clearness; we may say: 

We know not where His islands lift 

Their fronded palms in air; 
Yet we do know we shall not drift 

Beyond His love and care. 



[47] 



Address of Mr. Lehlbach, of New Jersey 

Mr. Speaker: John H. Capstick, to whose sterling 
qualities and public services we bear witness to-day, re- 
flected to a marked degree the life and views of that sec- 
tion of New Jersey he represented all too briefly in this 
House. Though born in Massachusetts and reared in 
Rhode Island, he reinoved to Montville, in Morris County, 
N. J., in his young manhood, and it was there that he spent 
his active life — wrought, achieved, and developed. True, 
the military schooling of his boyhood and his service in 
the Rhode Island Militia had their influence in forming 
that firmness of character and decisiveness which were 
characteristic; but in every essence he typified the rural 
Jerseyman from the northern section of the State. 

In Morris County are found no great cities, no vast 
estates, no crass contrast of extreme wealth and dire 
poverty. Agriculture, on farms generally owned by those 
who till them, mingles with the industries of the pros- 
perous towns carried on by the intelligence and capital 
of the inhabitants themselves. Economically independent, 
these people are consequently politically and intellec- 
tually independent. They are of what we consider the 
soundest and truest type of American manhood. They 
reverence American traditions, believe in American in- 
stitutions; they possess a conservatism that compels them 
to reject new and strange doctrines repugnant to the fore- 
going fundamentals; but they are intelligently receptive 
to progressive ideas which seek the development of these 
sound principles to meet modern social and economic 
conditions. 

In such an atmosphere John H. Capstick spent the years 
of his manhood. His energy and public spirit led him to 

[48] 



Address of Mr. Lehlbach, of New Jersey 

participate in the public affairs of his community, and his 
sound common sense and wise counsel earned him marked 
influence throughout the countryside. Contented in his 
devotion to the prosperous industry he had established 
and developed and in his home circle, he sought no public 
office. He was at length prevailed upon to accept without 
remuneration the office of president of the State board 
of health of New Jersey, in which for a period of six years 
he rendered faithful and effective service. 

With his election to Congress there opened before him 
opportunity for a career of great usefulness. It would 
seem as if his whole life had been shaped to train and 
develop in him those qualities which make a sound and 
successful legislator. 

In the inscrutable wisdom of Providence, his country, 
however, was not to benefit from his services. The blight- 
ing touch of disease rested on him before he had fully 
served here his apprenticeship, without which none can 
attain a position of influence in this body. Manfully he 
bore the pain and suffering through the progress of his ill- 
ness, cheery, brave, optimistic, until in His own time the 
merciful Father laid his tortured body to rest and took 
unto Himself a great soul. 

John H. Capstick's most marked quality was a rugged 
and uncompromising honesty. It was of the very essence 
of his being. He could neither himself dissemble, nor had 
he patience with equivocation in another. He was sin- 
cere in his intellectual processes, held decided views, and 
never hesitated to give expression to them. This at times 
gave to one coming casually in contact with him an im- 
pression of brusqueness or harshness. Nothing could 
have been further from his true nature. Although a 
strong and forceful personality, he was at heart gentle, 
considerate, and kind. 

The loss of a daughter, who had twined herself about 
his heart, at the very threshold of glorious young woman- 

116940°— 19 4 [49] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Capstick 

hood, bowed him with grief, but did not, as it might have 
done a smaller nature, embitter liim. Unmindful of his 
own agony of soul, he devoted himself with loving gen- 
tleness to assuaging the sorrow of the one who shared 
with him the loss. 

Although a busy man of affairs, he had keen apprecia- 
tion for the fine arts, and was a critic of no mean discern- 
ment. He loved music, and understood it as only one may 
whose very soul is held in its thrall. In times of turbu- 
lence and trouble he turned to it for solace and found in 
its spell rest and peace. 

In the untimely end of his career the membership of 
this House has lost a loyal friend, his constituency a 
valuable Representative, the country a faithful servant. 
Strong and forceful, gentle and considerate, he was in all 
respects a true man. 



[50] 



Address of Mr. Woods, of Iowa 

Mr. Speaker: When in the splendor of physical man- 
hood our late colleague, Mr. John H. Capstick, entered 
the Sixty-fourth Congress he seemed as far removed 
from the summons of the dread reaper. Death, as any 
man among us. His active and efficient service in that 
session of Congress gave promise of usefulness and 
achievement far beyond that ordinarily attained. Few 
men, indeed, had his capacity for labor. During his first 
session of Congress he spoke on a number of important 
subjects that showed a thorough understanding and a 
grasp of the affairs of the Government. He took his 
work seriously and went into every question presented 
with the thoroughness of a trained business man. I have 
often heard him say that the Government was the great- 
est of all business institutions, and one of its chief func- 
tions was to so conduct its affairs that every citizen shared 
equally in its blessings and benefits. How fortunate the 
country having such men for its citizens. In this world 
of ours every act, every word, every thought tends to 
change the action of men fifty and a hundred years from 
now. And though his service in Congress was short, the 
work of Mr. Capstick will tend toward better govern- 
ment, more equitable laws more equitably administered 
for future generations. 

He went about his work with patient industry — an 
example we all might well follow as Members of Con- 
gress in our service for others. The love of a people for 
their country depends to a considerable extent upon the 
service of the Government for its citizens. The people 
are the Government in our country', and in them rests 
the sovereignty, not because of the Constitution and laws 

[51] 



Memorial Addresses: REPRESENTATivTi Capstick 

but as something inherent and fundamental. The Mem- 
bers of Congress represent and act for the people, and 
whenever the courts which have the duty of interpreting 
the laws, or the executive ofiicials who have the duty of 
administering the laws, legislate by court decisions or by 
arbitrary rules and regulations, just to that extent is 
government by the people encroached upon and indi- 
vidual influence and power and liberty of the citizen 
curtailed. Mr. Capstick stood firm for those principles 
taught by the fathers as written in the Declaration of 
Independence and in the Constitution — principles rep- 
resented by Washington and Lincoln. He did not disdain 
to follow the beaten paths, but revered the Constitution 
and laws as safeguards to liberty. 



[52] 



Address of Mr. Drukker, of New Jersey 

Mr. Speaker: John H. Capstick, a man of unusual at- 
tainments, strong convictions, and indomitable will, gifted 
with the power that made him a leader among men, a 
man whom to know intimately, as was my great good 
fortune, was to love, was taken from us at a time in the 
affairs of the Nation when his sober, matured judgment 
and his broad vision would have won for him a command- 
ing position in this body. Even though he was not spared 
for this high service, be it said that he had rounded out a 
career of usefulness, a career filled with activities that 
were ever for the public weal. 

The thought of others was uppermost in his mind; liis 
kindly hand was stretched out to help and his voice was 
raised for the righting of wrongs. Endowed with a spirit 
of kindliness, of sympathy with all human grievances, and 
of unswerving fidelity, he retained until the end the af- 
fectionate regard and the deep-seated confidence of his 
electorate. 

His home life was ideal; he was idolized by his friends, 
who valued him for his sterling qualities; and by those 
in his employment prior to his retirement from active 
business life, who looked to him for guidance, he was 
held with a feeling closely akin to worship. No dispute 
of a personal or business nature that arose between these 
employees but was brought to him as arbiter. To these 
men his judgment was infallible. 

His memory will be revered by them and by the thou- 
sands who called on him for help and strength, not so 
much, perhaps, for what he accomplished in his public 
works — 

That best portion of a good man's life — 
His little, nameless, unremembered acts 
Of kindness and of love. 

[53] 



Memorial Addresses : Representative Capstick 

He was a noble type of noble citizenship. The ideals 
which he carried with him through his public life were 
those very ideals which had raised him to a high posi- 
tion in the business world. 

Born at Lawrence, Mass., of sturdy New England stock, 
in September, 1856, he attended the public schools of that 
city and later, removing to Providence, R. I., finished his 
education at Morey and Goff College. The military in- 
struction he received at that institution served him when 
he became a member of the Rhode Island State Militia. 
Of powerful physique, he carried himself with a soldierly 
bearing; he had the instincts, the straightforwardness, 
and the determination of a soldier, and, I know, had he 
been younger when war came to us — he was even then 
too ill to be here — he would have been among the first to 
shoulder a rifle and go forth to battle. He would have 
grasped the opportunity to relieve the oppressed, to up- 
lift the downtrodden. 

Pursuing the profession of his father, he became as- 
sociated in the year 1883 with the textile firm of John 
Capstick & Sons, at Montville, N. J. By profession he was 
a chemist and colorist, and in pursuit of this profession 
he made an outstanding name for himself. His wife, a 
woman of much talent, was Miss Ella F. Blake, daughter 
of the Hon. William Wells Blake, of Boston. 

Throughout his majority he manifested deep interest 
in matters of public welfare, acting as president of the 
New Jersey State board of health for six years and hold- 
ing a membership covering two years on the State sewer- 
age commission. 

The same inborn traits that had made him eager to 
promote all matters for the public good gave him place 
as a dominant figure in the affairs of his own immediate 
community; strong, forceful, and conscientious. The per- 
plexing problems arising in a small city received from him 
the same careful thought and consideration as did those 

[54] 



Address of Mr. Drukker, of New Jersey 

larger and more vexatious questions which a later day 
brought before him. 

When he was elected to the Sixty-fourth Congress his 
experience as director and vice president of the Morris- 
town Trust Co. and as former president of the Boonton 
National Bank for 11 years gained for him a place on 
the Committee on Banking and Currency. 

Through living within a short distance of Mr. Capstick 
I was privileged to be thrown into intimate relationship 
with him. I loved to be in his company; I marveled at 
his wisdom and at his wide knowledge of the world and 
events, and I grew to rely on him as a younger brother 
would grow to rely on his elder. I profited more than 
words can tell by this intimacy, and now that he has gone 
my association with him remains a dear, a jealously 
guarded memory, one which I shall always cherish, and 
which ruthless time can never efface; I prize the recol- 
lection of those sacred days when the honor of knowing 
him so well was given me. 

He had everything to live for — an adoring wife, a home 
amid beautiful surroundings, and the love and admira- 
tion of his friends. But when the call came he was ready 
to go; there was no duty left undone. He was a loyal, 
big-hearted, unselfish friend, an earnest worker, a public 
servant devoted to his trust. 

His life was gentle, and the elements 

So mix'd in him, that Nature might stand up 

And say to all the world, " This was a man I " 



[55] 



Address of Mr. Ramsey, of New Jersey 

Mr. Speaker: I desire to say a few words relative to 
the character and worth of our late colleague, in whose 
honor these memorial services are being held. 

John H. Capstick proved his value as a man by the 
successes he attained throughout his whole life. Born in 
New England, that part of our country which has pro- 
duced so many great and distinguished men, he came 
into the world naturally and by inheritance well equipped 
to battle with the life's problems that were to confront 
him and which he so courageously met and so success- 
fully mastered. But he did not remain long in Massachu- 
setts. When a comparatively young man he sought out 
New Jersey as his home, where he continued to live until 
his demise. 

John H. Capstick was always a vigorous, painstaking, 
and successful business man. He applied himself not 
only to his own private business but also devoted much 
of his time and energies to public affairs. He was inter- 
ested in the financial institutions of his county, and his 
advice and counsel were of great value and highly appre- 
ciated by those with whom he was associated. 

He for a number of years was the president of the 
State board of health of New Jersey', and the service 
he rendered in that capacity was recognized as most effi- 
cient as well as beneficial to all the people of our State. 

The service he rendered the Nation as a Member of 
this House was no less conspicuous. Here he performed 
his work well and with a fidelity that brought many 
praises to him by his colleagues when it was learned that 
it was doubtful whether he would ever again be able to 
participate in active legislation because of his illness. 

[56] 



Address of Mr. Ramsey, of New Jersey 

He was liked by all, and had no enemies. He was a 
lovable man and a good friend. His home life at Mont- 
ville, N. J., was one of extreme happiness, and it is too 
bad that the vigorous and sturdy man that he was could 
not have been preserved in good health so that he might 
have lived many years more, to be of further assistance 
to his fellow man, his State, and his country. 

He in his illness, which was of long duration, was not 
depressed, but he was always cheerful, happy, and con- 
tented. He lived a life of usefulness. He died in peace, 
in comfort, and in happiness. 



[57] 



Address of Mr. Fess, of Ohio 

Mr. Speaker: My acquaintance with Mr. Capstick did 
not extend over a long jieriod of time. "When he came 
to Congress he displayed an interest in legislation, espe- 
cially that character of legislation which looked to the 
maintenance of business integrity. He seemed concerned 
about the ability of the country to so direct, the Nation's 
business that no interruption between the producer and 
consumer might occur. Himself an employer of labor, 
his chief concern seemed to be for the class of our people 
who had to depend upon their daily wage for comfort 
of their families — the constancy of employment of this 
great mass of our population at such wage to insure not 
only permanence of employment, but a wage to insure a 
fair degree of independence and under such conditions 
as to insure against occupational disease. In a word, he 
had a keen conception of the need of humanizing indus- 
try. At the same time he did not forget the rights of 
capital, and insisted as labor had its rights which must 
be respected, so, too, the employer, whose talent of organ- 
ization and ability in management, which made possible 
the steady employment of labor, so those taking all the 
risks of loss should be protected in their rights. I had 
talked with Mr. Capstick upon this phase of our indus- 
trial life quite frequently and found him very responsive 
to the situation. 

He was of the quiet sort in his conduct in the House. 
He very rarely took the floor, but while he was well 
enough to attend the sessions he always took a clear-cut 
position on questions before the House and never hesi- 
tated upon what his duty was toward his State and 
country. 

[58] 



Address of Mr. Fess, of Ohio 



A man of wealth, he was responsive to the needs of the 
times, and gave freely of his substance to the many move- 
ments of altruistic character. I instance the fact that in 
casual conversation with me one day in the Chamber he 
asked me about my experience while the head of a col- 
lege in Ohio. Upon my stating that a college president 
of to-day must be a successful money collector rather 
than a great scholar or administrator for scholarly mat- 
ters, he responded not only by assent to my observation, 
but without my asking it he drew a check on behalf of 
the college and requested that I use it for the good of 
some ambitious student who must have assistance to fin- 
ish his course. Upon further conversation I found he 
was making a systematic use of his wealth for the good 
of the world. 

Mr. Speaker, after all, political fame is little more than 
a bubble, which can not insure real happiness. We have 
a thousand proofs of it. Riches, as the world goes, have 
wings, and they are of the moment. None of these things 
of themselves abide. The real achievement is in matters 
of character which are of the substance of successful liv- 
ing. Wealth is a wonderful convenience but can not be 
of great and abiding value except as used to increase the 
personal and public weal. Fame is ephemeral and not 
worthy the seeking, as it inevitably ends in disappoint- 
ment and frequently sorrow. The man who is famous 
to-day may be infamous to-morrow, dependent upon the 
current of a fickle public opinion that sways with the 
strongest current. The surest road to the greatest happi- 
ness is that which leads to the greatest service to mankind. 
That road may lead through a business career where the 
accumulations of years are devoted to mankind. It may 
lead to a professional career whose talent and tact are 
devoted to the good of the race. The modern slogan of 
mankind is while making a living learn to live. This de- 



[59] 



Memorial Addresses : Representative Capstick 

mands a service of public spirit, wliere energy, wealth, 
and reputation are employed to increase the goodness of 
the M^orld. 

For such service membership in this House is an op- 
portunity. I believe the time is here now when human 
interest calls for legislation on behalf of our common 
humanity. In other words, legislation can not be circum- 
scribed by a mere money consideration. My short ac- 
quaintance with our colleague convinces me he had the 
proper angle as a public man, and I desire to pay this 
brief tribute to his memory. 



[60] 



Address of Mr. Moore, of Pennsylvania 

Mr. Speaker: Our New Jersey colleagues have paid 
their tributes to the late John H. Capstick, Member from 
the fifth New Jersey district. They have spoken of him 
as we are wont to do when those with whom we have 
fraternized in our respective delegations have passed 
away. What they have said has been appropriate and 
sympathetic. But the acquaintanceship which a Member 
of Congress from any State acquires after a brief experi- 
ence in Washington widens and broadens until Repre- 
sentatives of all the States evince an interest in his life 
and services. 

Mr. Capstick was elected to the Sixty-fourth Congress 
in 1914. The war in Europe had already started when 
he made his appearance at the Capitol. Like every other 
Member who came in with that Congress, he mingled with 
his fellow Members as one who realized that great events 
were about to transpire. It was this feeling of uncer- 
tainty on the part of all Members of Congress with regard 
to the future that gave Mr. Capstick ready access to the 
thoughts and expressions of his colleagues the country 
over. It was not surprising under these circumstances 
that one of his amiable qualities should rapidly advance 
in the friendship and confidence of his associates. 

I admired Mr. Capstick because of his rugged and prac- 
tical interest in the new life he assumed. A business man, 
such as he was, is generally more reticent than the lawyer 
or professional man in matters of legislation, but our 
New Jersey colleague came into the congressional life 
when political and economic conditions were badly mixed 
and when the advice of a solid man of business was 
doubly welcome. His hard-headed common sense proved 

[61] 



Memorial Addresses: Representativ'e Capstick 

of much value to the committees upon which he was ap- 
pointed and gave great promise of future usefulness. 
With him, however, it was as we, unfortunately, have 
sometimes observed in the case of other new and sub- 
stantial acquisitions to the House. He was not to be 
given the opportunity to fully develop his service here. 
He made a brave beginning. What he did was well and 
creditably done. Then came his sickness, and it long 
endured. 

The electors of the fifth New Jersey district returned 
him to the Sixty-fifth or war Congress of the United States, 
and despite his illness he made a gallant effort to do his 
full duty. He returned to Washington on several oc- 
casions — once accompanied by his physician all the way 
from the hospital — but so enfeebled as to lead his friends 
to doubt the wisdom of his journey. It was his grit and 
mettle that induced him to come. Though he knew the 
outcome of his appearance in Washington might be fatal 
to himself, he still felt that he owed his vote and his at- 
tendance here to the constituency which had honored him. 
Of such stuff was our colleague made. 

I mourn with my colleagues from New Jersey and other 
States the loss of John H. Capstick. He was a strong and 
vigorous American, too soon removed from those who 
loved him and from the path of patriotic duty which he 
heroically sought to travel. 



[62] 



Address of Mr. Hayes, of California 

Mr. Speaker: John H. Capstick became a Member of 
this House on March 4, 1915. He brought to his duties a 
ripe and successful business experience and at once im- 
pressed his colleagues as a man of strong convictions and 
fearless character and one well equipped for useful serv- 
ice here. Mr. Capstick did not disappoint these first 
impressions, but at once entered with zest into the activi- 
ties and legislation of this body, and those who came to 
know him came to appreciate, even in the short time he 
served here, his splendid qualities of heart and brain. 
His business experience and ability were very valuable 
to his colleagues and to his country and would have 
become increasingly so with the experience which years 
would have brought him had he been spared to us. 

Reared and educated in New England, he came to New 
Jersey when 27 years of age, where he became associated 
with his father in the manufacture of textiles, under the 
name of John Capstick & Sons. He continued this busi- 
ness, of which he later became the head, until his death, 
and in the prosecution of it acquired that experience and 
developed the character and qualities which distinguished 
his service here. 

I have a conviction that too few practical business men 
are sent by the different constituencies of this country to 
the House. Legislation here is very largely a matter of 
business. A very large proportion of the time of this body 
is spent in the consideration of revenue bills and appro- 
priation bills; in providing for the income of the Federal 
Government and in disbursing this income to maintain its 
various activities and functions. In fact, the business of 
the United States, under the control in its first stages of 

[63] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Capstick 

the House of Representatives, is the greatest business 
in the world. It is so vast and embraces so many dif- 
ferent activities that, no matter how able a Member may 
be or how long he serves here, he comes to know thor- 
oughly but a very small part of the great governmental 
and business interests with which this House has to deal. 
A man coming here with a large business experience has 
a great advantage in taking up his duties over those who 
prior to coming here have had no such business experi- 
ence. Such a man has a different viewpoint than has the 
professional man, for example, and brings to the dis- 
charge of his duties a knowledge which can be acquired 
in no other school but the school of business. Because 
Mr. Capstick had a large knowledge thus acquired, as 
well as because of the splendid qualities of his character, 
I regard his death as a distinct loss to this House and to 
his country. 

Our late colleague rapidly made friends, and although 
among us comparatively but a short time he made many 
friends who will sadly miss him and whose loving 
thoughts and affection follow him into the great beyond. 

The human, the social side of the life here makes the 
service of a Member of Congress much more attractive 
than it otherwise would be. To all of us association with 
our colleagues is a great pleasure and delight, and fast 
friendships are formed here that last to the end of life. 
"When these associations are abruptly terminated by 
death the pain that comes to the friends of the stricken 
one is second only to that which wrings the heart when 
one's family circle is broken by death. To me the last 
day of each Congress is a day of sadness, because on 
that day I bid farewell to many near and dear friends 
upon both sides of the aisle whose service here has 
finally terminated, whose faces I do not expect again to 
see, whose sympathetic handclasp I never hope in this 
life again to feel. 

[64] 



Address of Mr. Hayes, of California 

But I like to feel, as I think of the severing of these 
ties of love and friendship that come at times to all of 
us, that somewhere in the great unknown when the physi- 
cal bonds that limit our habitation to a fixed place have 
been cast aside we shall find it easier to meet and asso- 
ciate with those we loved here. In an environment where 
love and harmony are the ruling influences we may even 
find a higher and a sweeter pleasure in the society of our 
old friends and loved ones than we experienced while 
here. As another has beautifully expressed it: 

There is a mystic borderland that lies 
Just past the limits of the workday world, 
And it is peopled with the friends we met 
And loved a year, a month, a week, a day. 
And parted from with aching hearts; yet knew 
That through the distance we must lose the hold 
Of hand with hand, and only clasp the threads 
Of memory. But still so close we feel this land. 
So sure we are that these same hearts are true, 
That when in waking dreams there comes a call 
That sets the threads of memory aglow, 
We know that just by reaching out the hand 
In written words of love, or book, or flower. 
The waiting hand will clasp our own once more 
Across the silence in the same old way. 

The Speaker pro tempore. According to the resolutions 
which were adopted, the House now stands adjourned 
until to-morrow at 12 o'clock. 

Thereupon (at 1 o'clock and 32 minutes p. m.) the 
House adjourned until to-morrow, Monday, May 20, 1918, 
at 12 o'clock noon. 



116940°— 19 5 [65] 



Proceedings in the Senate 

Monday, March 18, 1918. 

A message from the House of Representatives, by G. F. 
Turner, one of its clerks, communicated to the^ Senate 
the intelligence of the death of Hon. John H. Capstick, 
late a Representative from the State of New Jersey, and 
transmitted resolutions of the House thereon. 

Mr. Frelinghuysen. I ask the Chair to lay the resolu- 
tions before the Senate. 

The Vice President. The Chair lays before the Senate 
the following resolutions of the House of Representatives, 
which will be read. 

The Secretary read the resolutions, as follows: 

In the House of Representatives of the United States, 

March 18, 1918. 

Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of 
the death of Hon. John H. Capstick, late a Representative from 
the State of New Jersey. 

Resolved, That a committee of 15 Members of the House, with 
such Members of the Senate as may be joined, be appointed to 
attend the funeral. 

Resolved, That the Sergeant at Arms of the House be authorized 
and directed to take such steps as may be necessary for carrying 
out the provisions of these resolutions, and that the necessary 
expenses in connection therewith be paid out of the contingent 
fund of the House. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the 
Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. 

Resolved, That as a further mark of respect this House do now 
adjourn. 

Mr. Frelinghuysen. Mr. President, I send to the desk 
the following resolutions and ask for their adoption. 



[67] 



Memorial Addresses : Representative Capstick 

The resolutions were read, considered by unanimous 
consent, and unanimously agreed to, as follows: 

Resolved, That tlie Senate has heard with profound sorrow the 
announcement of the death of Hon. John H. Capstick, late a Rep- 
resentative from the State of New Jersey. 

Resolved, That a committee of eight Senators be appointed by 
the Vice President to join a committee appointed by the House of 
Representatives to take order for superintending the funeral of the 
deceased. 

Resolved, That the Secretary communicate a copy of these reso- 
lutions to the House of Representatives. 

The Vice President. Under the second resolution the 
Chair appoints the senior Senator from New Jersey [Mr. 
Frelinghuysen], the junior Senator from New Jersey [Mr. 
Baird], the Senator from West Virginia [Mr. Sutherland], 
the Senator from Indiana [Mr. New], the Senator from 
Idaho [Mr. Nugent], the Senator from Tennessee [Mi-. 
McKellar], the Senator from Arizona [Mr. Ashurst], and 
the Senator from Georgia [Mr. Hardwick] as the commit- 
tee on the part of the Senate. 

Mr. Frelinghuysen. Mr. President, as a further mark 
of respect to the memory of the deceased Representative 
I move that the Senate do now adjourn. 

The motion was unanimously agreed to; and (at 5 
o'clock and 25 minutes p. m.) the Senate adjourned 
until to-morrow, Tuesday, March 19, 1918, at 12 o'clock 
meridian. 

Tuesday, May 21, 1918. 

MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE 

A message from the House of Representatives, by D. K. 
Hempstead, its enrolling clerk, transmitted to the Senate 
resolutions on the life and public services of the Hon. 
John H. Capstick, late a Representative from the State of 
New Jersey. 

[68] 



LBJe'20 



